Railroad safety crossing



Aug. 11, 1931. w. H. CONDON RAILROAD SAFETY CROSSING Filed April 27, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 M 7m pm 1 ,M. jm

g' 11, 1931- w. H. CONDON 1,818,534-

RAILROAD SAFETY CROS S ING Filed April 27. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I .gg//0 Inventor A tomey Aug. 11,1931. w.|-|. CONDON RAILROAD SAFETY CROSSIN 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filegi April 27, 1929 Inventor *xmaezzmmz Attorney Aug. 11, 1931. w. H. CQNDON 1,818,534

RAILROAD SAFETY CROSSING Filed April 27. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 In uentor Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILFRED H. CONDON, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY PER CERT GEORGE COLLINS, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT RAILROAD SAFETY CROSSING Application filed April 2'7,

The present invention appertains to a new and useful improvement in signals and safety devices for railway surface tracks and more particularly the present invention appertains to a novel means for controlling crossing gates by energy transmitted from the rolling stock.

The principal object of the invention is to provide railway crossing gates of automatic operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety means for railway crossings, which will automatically operate gates as well as give audible warning.

After reading the following specification and claims, other important objects and advantages of the invention will readily become apparent.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a roadway crossing equipped with the improved safety means.

Figure 2 represents diagrammatically the electric means on the rolling stock, as well i as showing the rolling stock in dotted lines.

Figure 3 represents a cross sectional view of the trackway and fragmentarily showing a piece of rolling stock thereon with the novel contact in engagement with the conductor.

Figure 4 represents a vertical sectional view through the conductor rail.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the conductor rail and mounting.

Figure 6 is an inside elevation of the conductor rail mounting and also showing the guard therefor.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the conductor rail contact. 7

Figure 8 represents a vertical sectional view throughthe gate mechanism housing, showing the gate end in operated position.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view through the magnetic latch mechanism showing the same in energized condition.

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional view through the magnetic latch mechanism showing the same in deenergized condition.

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view, disclos- 1929. Serial No. 358,725.

shows a pair of track rails 33, intersecting a roadway 4.

A warning sign 5 is mounted on a post 6 and has a pair of electro-magnetically operated horns 77 mounted thereon, in the manner clearly shown.

Mounted at each side of the roadway 4 and in substantial parallelism to one of the rails 3 is the structure for obtaining electric energy from rolling stock for transmittal to the electric mechanism for operating the gate generally referred to by numeral 8. These structures are generally referred to by numeral 9, and by referring to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, it will be seen that the structures each include a plurality of supports mounted on the ties of the trackway, each support consisting in construction of a base plate 10, with a post 11 extending upwardly therefrom and merging into an upwardly curved arm 12. The arm 12 has a protuberance 1 8 projecting into the confined area of the arm 12 as clearly shown in Figure 4. The protuberance 13 is provided with a vertically disposed wedge opening 14., within which the threaded shank 15 of the conductor rail support 16 may be firmly wedged and retained by the nut 17 engaged thereon and against the bottom side of the protuberance 13. The conductor rail 18 is of conventional structure, being formed with the lower beading 19 for engagement in the groove of the support 16.

An elongated guard plate 20 of arcuate cross section is secured to the arm 12 by suitable means 2 1 and extends in the manner shown in Figure 1.

Thus a protector is provided for the conductor rail 18, against'snow and ice and also against the possibility of short circuit by pieces of conductive material rolling across the rail 18 and grounding the same. The conductor rail 18 is drawn taut by suitable turn buckles 22 anchored to the ties, as designated by numeral 73. One end of each of the rails 18 is connected by the jumper 24.

Each gate 8 has one end pivotally mounted within a housing 25, on a shaft 26. The gate carries a gear 27 for mesh with the pinion 28, on the armature shaft of an electric motor 29. A lead 30 extends from the jumpers 24 and connects to one side 31 of a switch generally referred to by numeral 32. The other side of the switch which is designated by numeral 33 has a depending finger 34 engageable with the butt end of the gate post and is connected to one side of the motor 29. The opposite side of the motor is connected to the solenoid 35, located within a block 36. The solenoid 35 has a core 37 slidable therein and on a guide rod 38. The opposite ends of the guide posts 38 are anchored to opposite ends of the block 36 as is clearly shown in Figure 9. A latch bar 39 is fulcrumed as at 40 and is normally maintained in the position shown in Figure 9, by the expansible spring 41.

A pivotal finger 42 has a. spring hinged connection 43 to the outer end of the latch bar 39 and is capable of swinging downwardly only.

An eccentrically mounted trip member 44 has a finger 45 thereon, engageable by the armature 37 and is also provided with a pocket 46, for receiving the inner end of the latch bars 39.

In Figure 2, the dotted lines disclose the outline of a locomotive, and on this piece of rolling stock is carried the generator 47 for supplying electric energy to the mechanism hereinbefore described. One side of the generator is grounded, while the opposite side has a lead 48 extending through the fuse 49 and switch 50 to a contact generally referred to by numeral 51 (shown in Fi ure 7). This contact includes an inverted L-shaped bracket 52 of suitable current conductive material The lower end of the bracket is provided with a laterally disposed boss 53 to which is pivoted the contact arm 54. The arm 54 has a protuberance 55, for abutment against the stop member 56 on the boss 53, while the finger 57 depending from the arm 54 has a spring 58 connected thereto which tends to maintain the member engaged with the stop 56, while the arm 54 is not engaged with the conductor rail 18, as'is shown in Figure 3.

Obviously, when the switch 50 is closed and the arm 54 rides upon the conductor rail 18, electric energy from the generator 47 will pass to the motor 29 and cause the gate to swing downwardly in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 8. As the gate reaches the horizontal position, the weighted end 59 engages the depending portion 34 of the switch 32, which breaks the motor circuit and energizes the solenoids 35, so that the traction of the armature 37 will cause the gravitation of the trip member 44 which will move into the locking position shown in Figure 9. In this position of the latch mechanism, although the motor circuit is broken, the gate 8 will be maintained in operated position, until the contact 51 has become disconnected from the conductor rail. hen this occurs, the solenoid 35 will become deenergized, thus permitting the armature 37 to drop, falling against the finger 45 and swinging the trip 44. The trip member will thus be disengaged from the latch bar 39 and the latter may swing upwardly at its free end to permit the rising of the gate 8 through the overbalancing of the weighted end 59. The commutator 60 on the shaft 26 of the gate mechanism may furnish energy to the boss in the lamp box 61 on the gate post, so that the gate may be illuminated at night. The gate is provided with an arm 62, shown in Figures 8 and 10 for engagement with the latch bars 39.

It is to be noted that although only one contact is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it is to be understood that both sides of the rolling stock, are to be equipped with the contact so that the signal system may be operated regardless of the direction of travel of the train.

While the foregoing description has been couched in definite terms, it is to be understood that various changes in the sh ape, size, and materials may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A latch of the character described comprising a solenoid, a trigger, a pivotal detent, and means whereby the solenoid core is adapted to operate the trigger to release the detent.

2. A latch of the character described comprising a solenoid, a trigger, one end of the trigger being in the path of the solenoid core, a head on the opposite end of the trigger provided with a notch therein, a pivotally mounted detent, one end of the said detent being engaged in the notch of the head, when the latch is in operated position.

3. A latch of the character described comprising a solenoid, a trigger, a pivotal detent, and means whereby the solenoid core is adapted to operate the trigger to release the detent, said detent being capable of gravitation when released by tne trigger to permit self movement toan unobstructed position.

7 In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILFRED H. GONDON. 

